Motor vehicle



Mmm@ Bm H REED MOTOR VEHICLE Filed June j 1928 Patented Feb. 12,1929.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT; OFFICE.

LEON H. REED, OF lDEIROI'ZD, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO PACKARD MOTOR CARCOM- PANY, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

Application tiled June 4, 1928.. Serial No. 282,568.

This invention relates to motor vehicles and more particularly tobumpers for the protection thereof.

Bumpers for motor vehicles are generally supported horizontally on theends of the side members ofthe chassis at the front and rear of thevehicle and extend transversely through the vertical planes of thewheels. Because of the position of the rear bumper extendingtransversely through the vertical planes of the rear wheels, smallstones and other objects on the surface of the road are thrown by thewheels against the bumper from which they are deflected against thefenders Iand the body panels causing considerable dama e to the highlyfinished surface thereof w ich gives an unsightly appearance to thevehicle.

An object of the invention is to provide means for preventing objectsthrown from the surface of a road by the wheels of a vehicle frombeingdeiiected by the bumper against the body of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a defleetor adapted to beattached to the rear bumper of a motor vehicle for the protection of thevehicle against objects thrown from the surface of a road by the wheelsof the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a defleetor which may beeasily and quickly installed and when secured in position will not workloose and rattle.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a detlector forthe purpose specified which is interchangeable from right to left andvice versa, is highly eiiicient in operation and yet of markedsimplicity, so that its manufacture is economically facilitated.

from the following description taken in connection with the drawings,which form a part of this specication, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a motor vehicle,

y partly broken away, illustrating the invention as applied,

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view illustrat-ing the end of a bumperhaving the de- 4Hector thereon,

Figure 3 is an end view of tlie defiector, partly broken away, thedeflector being positioned on a support bar shown in section, and

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the dcfiector, the support and impactbars of the bumper being broken away.

Other objects of the invention will appear Referring to the drawings formore specific details of the invention, 10 represents generally a motorvehicle having a frame including side members 11 and cross members 12supported on wheels 13. The frame supports a body 14. having securedthereto a rear fender 15 of conventional form and suitably supported onthe cross bar 12 in any preferred manner is a spare wheel and tire 16.

Suitably secured on the rear end of the side members 11 is a bumperadapted to protect the vehicle against damage by collision. As shown,the bumper has a support bar 17 secured to the rear vend of the sidemembers l1, as by clamps 18, and the ends of the support bar have eyes19. Corresponding impact bars 20 having arcuate portions 21 and eyes 22at their ends are arranged one above the other with the eyes 22registering with the eyes 19 in the ends ofthe support bars. Bolts 23are passed through the registering eyes securing the support and impactbars together and the impact bars are secured to each other in spacedrelation by suitable clamps 24 preferably equally spaced from the endsof the bumper.

The support bar 17 and the impact bars 2O are positloned transversel ofthe vehicle adjacent the rear ends of t e fenders 15, and extend beyondthe vertical plane of the wheels 13 to lprovide adequate protection forthe fenders. Positioned on the support bar 17 in a horizontal planeintersecting the vertical plane of the wheels 13 and the fenders 15 is adeflector25. As shown', the deflector comprises a stamping substantiallyin the form of an isosceles triangle, the sides 26 of which are curvedto conform substantially with the contour of the curved end portionsofthe impact bars with the converging ends ofthe sides merging into arelatively short section 27 and the diverging ends merging into a curve28 more or less semi-elliptical in character. The deflector issymmetrical with res ect to its longitudinal axis, the object of whichwill hereinafter appear.

The deflector has a convex surface as indicated at 29 and is providedwith a downwardly extending perimetral flange 30, a portion of which isbent inwardly as at 31 to provide a suitable bearing surface 32 adaptedto center and maintain the deflector horizontally when positioned on thesupport bar 17 with that portion of the flange 30 de pending from thecurved portion 2'?, engaging a reduced portion 33 on the support barimmediately adjacent the eyes 19. 'This structure provides a two pointbearing for the detlector on the support bar and means for positioningthe deflector with precision and further supports the deiectory so thatthe body portion thereof does not engage the support bar, therebyavoiding the possibility of rattling caused by vibration. 4

The general outline of the deiiector is such that-when the deiiector isadjusted to position the perimeter thereof is suficiently spaced fromthe impact bars to prevent damage to the delector by vdeformation of theimpact bars in ordinary usage. Then, too, since the deliector issymmetrical. with respect to the longitudinal axis, it is readilyreversible, that is, from left to right and vice versa. This is aparticularly desirable feature since by virtue thereof1 a materialsaving in the cost of production is accomplished.

The body portion of the deflector has spaced pairs of apertures 34 soarranged that the axis of the deector-is in a plane between theapertures of each pair. These apertures are suitably countersunk toreceive the heads of bolts 35, the bolts being passed through theapertures 34 and through registering apertures in the ends of clamps 36straddling the support bar 17 and have threaded thereon nuts 37 with theusual lock washers interposed. The spaced relation of the clamps 36 tothe convex body portion of the deector serves, owing to the resilientcharacter of the convex body portion, to maintain a constant tension onthe bolts 35 due to the tendency of the clamps 36 and the body of thedeflector to spring apart, thus eifectively retaining the deflector inposition and preventing rattling thereof when the bolts work loose to asmall extent.

Although this invention has been described in connection with certainspecific embodiments, the principles involved are susceptible ofnumerous other applications which will readil occur to persons skilledinthe art. The intention is, therefore, to be limited only as indicatedby the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the various features of my invention, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I. In combination with a motor vehicle bumper having a support bar, adefiector having its longitudinal axis in the vertical plane of thelongitudinal axis of the support bar and securing means engaging thedeflector on each side of its axis.

2. AIn combination with a motor vehicle bumper having a support bar, adeector symmetrical with respect to its 'longitudinal axis, thedefiector positioned on tle support bar with its longitudinal axis inthe vertical plane of the longitudinal axis of the support bar andsecuring means on the support bar engaging the deflector on each side ofits longitudinal axis.

3. In combination with a motor vehicle bumper` a deiiector having a twopoint bearing on the bumper and means intermediate the bearing vpointsfor securing the deflector on the bumper.

4. In combination with a motor vehicle bumper, a deflector thereon, aperipheral flange on the deiector having two bearing points on thebumper and means intermediate the bearing points for clamping the flangeon the bumper.

5. In combination with a motor vehicle bumper, a deiiector having a bodyportion symmetrical with respect to its longitudinal axis, a flange onthe body portion having two bearing points on the bumper and meansintermediate the bearing points for clamping the flange on the bumper.

6. In combination with a motor vehicle bumper having a support bar, adeector having a convex body portion symmetrical with respect to itslongitudinal axis, a peripheral {iange on the body portion engaging thesupport bar and securing means on the support bar engaging the bodyportion on each side of its longitudinal axis.

7. In combination with a motor vehicle bumper having support and impactbars, a deflector symmetrical with respect to its lon- 4 gitudinal axis,a iange on the defiector having two bearing points on the support barand clamps on the support bar secured to the deector on each side of itslongitudinal axis for clamping the iange on the support bar.

8. In combination with a motor vehicle bumper having support and impactbars, a delector positioned on the support bar in spaced relation to theimpact bar, and means for securing the defiector on the support bar.

9. In combination with a motor vehicle `bumper having a support bar andan impact bar with a curved portion, a deflector positioned on thesupport bar in spaced relation with the curved portion of the impact barand means for clamping the defiector on the support bar.

10. In combination with a motor vehicle bumper having support and impactbars with curved portions, a deiector symmetrical with respect to itslongitudinal axis positioned on the support bar in spaced relation tothe curved portion of the impact bar, a guide for positioning thedeector on the support bar and securing means engaging the deector oneach side ofits longitudinal axis.

11. In combination with a motor vehicle having a rear fender and abumper having spaced support and impact bars arranged horizontally inthe rear of and projecting beyond the fender, a dedector symmetricalwith respect to its longitudinal axis positioned on the support bar inthe perpendicular plane of the fender, the deeetor having spaced bearingpoints on the support bar and means intermediate the bearing points forsecuring the deector on the support bar.

12. In combination with a motor vehicle having a rear fender and abumper' having spaced support and impact bars arranged horizontally inthe rear oi' and projecting be- `yond the fender, a deflectorsymmetrical with respect; to its longitudinal. axis positioned on thesupport bar in the perpendicular plane of 10 the fender in spacedrelation to the impact bars with its axis in the plane of thelongitudinal axis of the support bar and securing means engagingthcdeector on each side of its axis.

In testimony whereof i aiiix my signature.

LEON H. REED. l

